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Saturday, March 27, 2010

Blackened Pork Loin CHOPS! Fried and Baked!

I have seen a lot of pork lately. Back a few years ago, it was advertised as the "other white meat". Indeed, chickens have their place, but amongst BBQers, a great hunk of pork is not just other, it is a favorite!

Since I am without a grill, or a smoker for a few months, time to use my next favorite cooking method... Blackening!

Blackened is a cooking method, made popular by Paul Prudhomme. Here are a couple of myths (LIES, damn LIES I tell ya) about blackening...

Myth #1, Blackening is NOT a seasoning. If you order food blackened from a restaurant, and all they do is sprinkle Cajun spices on it, you are being ripped off. Blackening is a cooking method that uses Cajun spices. But without applying the method, you are only getting fancy, spicy salt added to your food.

Myth #2, Blackening does not mean burnt. Sure, it looks burnt, but the black crust comes from a combination of browned milk solids from the butter and charred spices. The meat is not burnt at all. The spices and butter form a crust that is charred.

OK, that is what it is not, here is what it is...

A week ago, I found a great price on a HUGE Pork loin. This is just 1/4 of that loin. I have already cooked one section, and I have 1/2 of the loin still in the freezer. Anyway, I took 1/4 of the loin out of the freezer, and allowed it to thaw overnight in the fridge. I sliced into chops, about 1 1/2 inch thick.

Add the seasonings (1 rounded tsp per TBS of butter). I make my own. It is easy and cheaper. On my sister blog, A KANSAS FOODIE IN ST THOMAS, I recently posted my recipe for making my own Cajun Rub (Blackening seasonings). Click HEREto find that recipe. I use a lot of this rub, and it is cheaper for me to make a batch to last a couple months. There are plenty of very good commercial blends you can buy. Try Paul Prudhomme's. But, also by making your own, you can make a low salt or no salt (my preference) version. You get plenty of salt in your diet as it is.

OK... Time to fry up your chops (briefly). First, crank the heat up. You want the butter just short of burning. My stove is electric. I can set my burners from 1 to 9... I set mine at 8.

You will see the butter starting to smoke a little. That is GREAT! Pop the chops in for 2 minutes.

Flip em over and cook another 2 minutes... Notice the smoke starting to increase.

Now, if I were making thin chops, I would continue to cook on the stovetop. these were very thick, so I am going to finish in the oven. Insert a meat thermometer in the thickest part...

350 degrees. BUT, do not overcook. best to cook by temperature. One more "can not live without item" is my remote prob thermometer/timer. Just insert the probe into the thickest part of the meat and wait till you hit the correct temperature... In this case, 155 degrees. It took about 30 minutes.

MOIST... not burnt. Filled with Cajun flavors, but not fiery pepper HOT. I love Blackened fish, steaks and especially chops!

Served this up with a little left over Bow tie past spinach salad (terriyaki dressing) and it was fabulous)!

I've only ordered blackened dishes a couple of times and did not like them at all. Now I know why. One was burnt as you describe in your "lies" and the other was simply sprinkled with some very strong spices. I now know I've been ripped off and will give give "blackened" another try. Great photos!

And all this time I thought blackened meant burnt, LOL, well now I learned something good today. Just starting to use more pork, the price is very good lately, better than chicken believe it or not, with less waste.

FBR

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Cul de Sac Cuisine. Making the most of local, fresh and best the suburbs have to offer. Just a little healthy eating, but always instructional and inviting. The suburban Cul de Sac is where it's at, and my back yard is the place to be!